Pontem Performance Sponsors Olympic Hopeful
Introducing Alyssa Ballard (Olympic Weightlifting)
When launching Pontem Performance, our goal was simple: leverage data and technology to help athletes improve their performance. The more we spoke to people about this, the more opportunities we saw to get involved and connect athletes to the latest in data analytics. Our previous case study with Aikynetix only scratches the surface about what’s possible in the field of computer vision, biomechanics, and artificial intelligence.
While sharing the Aikynetix technology with colleagues, we had a very interesting conversation with Load Strength Sports founder Fateh Sihota. Fateh - a former competitive powerlifter and current amateur coach of Olympic Weightlifting - noted how we still have a long way to go to connect the technology with today’s emerging athlete.
Fateh Sihota / Load Strength Sports
What interests you about the use of technology to supplement training?
Being a former international level athlete, I understand the dedication and sacrifices these athletes are making to achieve their dreams. This is why I am hoping that that companies like Aikynetix will be able to develop sport-specific applications to help enhance performance. I think the possibilities are endless, we can track all kinds of metrics that could be processed to determine why one athlete achieves more success than his or her counter parts If we are able to develop technology that can demonstrate how to become a more efficient lifter or what factors will minimize injury to the lifter, that would be of amazing value.
How should coaches view technology?
First thing we need to make clear is that data analytics does not replace coaching. The relationship between an experienced coach and the athlete cannot be replaced by technology. Recording the lifts from various angles and tracking metrics is really part of a good coaching program. Data analytics takes the data and determines what’s working and what’s not working. This technology is a tool that if used correctly, will enhance coaching and will almost certainly demonstrate relationships between various metrics that when understood, improves the athlete’s performance.
What is lacking in today’s training environments for athletes, particularly youth?
Good question, Olympic Weightlifting is an extremely difficult sport to learn. Technique, technique, technique is drummed into the athlete from the beginning, perfecting this can take many years. I feel until now, this has been in the hands of coaches, who spend a lot of their time designing programs and help lifting become more efficient. With the help of data analytics, athletes with the aid of their coach, will be able to better understand why some lifts were successful and others not. What factors contributed to the successful lift as opposed to what changed when the lifter failed? Coaches through their experience can determine weaknesses in their lifters, however this potentially becomes harder for remote athletes and what about the novice weightlifters who do not have a coach? Data analytics really opens the doors to what is possible, measuring diet or calories, time, duration of training session, volume, atmospheric temperature etc. are all contributing in some way to how the athlete performs.
Through his coaching and connections to US Weightlifting, Fateh had recently been asked to advise on an up-and-coming athlete out of Amarillo, Texas - Alyssa Ballard. Alyssa is a “remote athlete”, meaning that a majority of her training is done off-site from her coaches and because of that, she leverages video assessments as a core part of her program. Here is Alyssa’s story as we welcome her to the Pontem Performance family.
Alyssa Ballard / Bull Strength Barbell
Alyssa Ballard’s many accolades include: 6-time State Champion, 3-time Nationals Champion, 2 Silver World Medals, current member of the US Weightlifting Junior World’s Team, and Bull Strength Barbell gym manager. At only 18 years old, Alyssa’s entrepreneurship, mentorship, and athletic accomplishments make her extremely impressive (to say the least!).
And now, she adds “Olympic Hopeful” to her list of accolades. We sat down with Alyssa to discuss her story, her training goals, and how adding more advanced analytics may help her reach those goals.
Tell us about yourself? How did you get into Olympic Weightlifting?
I started Olympic Weightlifting when I was 12 years old, my dad saw it on a Facebook ad and decided that he would put me in. I was about 6 months into lifting until I decided I wanted to compete. After my first local competition, I qualified for State and I won State my first year going in. After that, I had gotten the chance to qualify for my first Nationals. With all of the work I put in, I was able to secure 7th at my very first Nationals. A few months past and I went back to State and won my second State. Early success in winning only inspired me to continue my hard work with the goal of being number 1 on the podium at all times.
Tell us about your training regime? (Day in the life…)
I train about 4-5 days a week for about 3-4 hours each training session. I start with my warms ups and stretching, then go and do my main lifts like snatch and clean and jerk. Then I do either my pulls or shrugs, then I squat and finish my workout with some core work. I finish each training session with recovery work, which consists of stretching, icing and my favorite, the massage gun.
You have a side hustle as a founder / coach (Bull Strength). Why did you start that? What are some of the biggest challenges you have?
Ever since I was 13 and I began to understand Olympic Weightlifting more and more. I found myself falling in love with the sport itself. Then I had a dream to open my own Olympic Weightlifting gym and get my coaching license. At the age of 17 I was blessed with the help of my dad to get my coaching license. I then took a year to learn more about the sport. Approximately a month after my 18th birthday, my dad helped me get my 501c3 and helped me open Bull Strength Barbell. Not only has it only been open for 8 months, but we have had kids win State, local meets and even qualify for Nationals. We are also working with a Junior Olympics track and field throwing team and the Palo Duro High School Dons. Some of my biggest challenges are adapting to athletes who need to change some of their bad lifestyle habits. I try to show kids that are a few years younger than me that if you work hard and hustle, you can make your dreams come true and nothing has to be perfect. I’ve had some good kids come in but they didn’t stick around long enough because of those life choices sadly.
How do you incorporate video into your training? What other technology do you use (notebook, WHOOP strap, nutrition/supplement plan, etc.)?
With my coach Tim Swords from Team Houston Weightlifting, being located in another city than me, I am what is known as a remote athlete. So, each training session I have to send my videos in and make sure I’m doing the right technique and form. I use other supplements from Complete Health whom I have been working with since I was 14, they have helped me with my nutrition and recovery.
How could you better use AI / data in your training?
I feel that it will help me understand my technique more and show me where I’m lagging. I would really like to see which parts of my body I am using more and using less so I can fix all of those little things, which hopefully helps my numbers go up.
Why do you want to become an Olympian? (its ok to brag…)
I want to be an Olympian because I want to show girls that it is possible. Not only am I the only female in Amarillo that has gone to international competitions representing the US for Olympic Weightlifting, but I want to be the first Olympian in Amarillo for Olympic Weightlifting. I would also love to not only represent the United States, but I would like to represent Texas and the 806/ Panhandle where I am from.
Pontem Performance will be working to support Alyssa on her journey to qualify for the ‘24 / ‘28 Olympics and look forward to helping her and her team optimize her training. We will keep everyone posted on her progress, but feel free to follow her and our technology collaborator (Aikynetix).
Alyssa Ballard: @alyssaballard_lifts_ and @bullstrengthbarbell
Aikynetix: @aikynetix and LinkedIn
